Night Hike to the Hot Pots

I've lived in Las Vegas for over 20 years, and I find it funny how much I haven't done.  Did you know that there are hot springs in Las Vegas?  Neither did I, until Saturday!  A friend mentioned that we should hike to the hot springs and of course, I was in!  I thought it would be a really fun group activity, so I got on my trusty phone, and sent a mass text to about 35 people.  I tried to select the perfect mix of guys and girls to make the invitation more enticing.  Imagine my excitement when Saturday night, when a whooping 9 people showed up {7 of which were single guys}!

I didn't let it get to me.  I got the feeling a lot of girls wouldn't be down for this sort of activity when my mass text was met with responses of "What are you wearing?" and "What boys will be there?"  I figured if they weren't down for a good time, regardless of what potential spouses might attend, then c'est la vie!  Around 9:30 pm, our small, but super-fun group jumped in the car and headed out to the Hoover Dam!

Normally, when I've been on "hikes" in the past, they aren't the rugged, boy scout type of hikes I see on TV.  They are more of a leisurely stroll down a dirt path.  In all honesty, the latter is what I was expecting.  Boy was I wrong!  This hike was L.E.G.I.T.  First of all, we couldn't have picked a more beautiful night to go.  Las Vegas still hasn't quite gotten the hang of "Springtime," and we've been dealing with rain and gale force winds; but Saturday night was a perfect 75°, clear sky night with just the slightest of breezes.  We headed out into the canyon, surrounded by megalithic rocks and desert plant life.  Before long, we were jumping off small cliffs, sliding down boulders, rock climbing with our bare hands, and climbing up/down 20+ feet high rock faces using tattered ropes.  It was definitely my kind of hike!

It took us about an hour and a half to reach the hot springs.  Once there, we all stripped down to our swimsuits and got in.  There was one semi-warm pool, and one hot-tub-like pool.  We took turns climbing and sliding down the boulders that separated the two.  In the back of the warmer pool there was a cave, but to get to it, we had to swim underneath the water, between a really small crevasse for about 6 feet.  It was a little intimidating, but totally worth it!  We brought in glow sticks and enjoyed the sauna created by the grotto.  After about 45 minutes of playing, we realized it was getting quite late and decided to dry off, get dressed, and hike back.

The way back to the car took a little longer than going to the pools.  We decided to turn off our headlamps and just rely on our night vision.  It was awesome.  We were better able to appreciate the beauty surrounding us.  In Las Vegas, the night time is often drowned out by the neon lights of the strip, so we don't often see stars, or appreciate how bright the moon can be.  I loved looking at the mountains, and hearing the silent peace of the night.  There really wasn't much sound, except for maybe a few Disney songs sung by Muscley Arms, the sound of the rocky sand beneath our feet, and a brief encounter with a choking homeless man... it turns out he was just snoring.

We didn't get back to the car until about 3:30 am, and by then I could feel the fatigue.  We were first to arrive and had to wait for the rest of the group.  My legs didn't want to move anymore, so I hoped into the bed of the truck and laid back to enjoy the crisp air, and stars.  STARS!  Who knew we had stars in Las Vegas?

 

I had such a great time!  The boys kept mentioning how the hike would have been an amazing date, but most girls would have hated it, or not been able to do it.  Not this girl!  It was right up my alley, and I'm so excited to go back and do it again!